Robbins: Player development hasn't been the Magic's problem

“Player development” is one of the most commonly used phrases around Amway Center these days. So it would be easy to conclude that player development has been an Orlando Magic weakness over the last few years.

That conclusion would be inaccurate.

Although the Magic have not found another consistent All-Star to pair with superstar Dwight Howard, a clear distinction should be made between player procurement/retention and player development.

The franchise has done a good job in recent years of developing the young players it did acquire.

The chart below lists notable young players the team obtained since 2004, along with brief synopses of how those players fared in Orlando after their acquisitions.

Player

How he was acquired

Results with the Magic

Dwight HowardDrafted 1st overall in 2004Perennial All-Star selection, perennial 1st-team All-NBA selection, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Jameer Nelson Draft rights acquired via trade in 2004Selected to 2009All-Star Game, has started 432 regular-season games Fran VázquezDrafted 11th overall in 2005Never signed Travis DienerDrafted 38th overall in 2005Played in 49 games over two seasons Marcin Gortat Draft rights acquired via trade in 2005Became one of the league’s best backup centers J.J. RedickDrafted 11th overall in 2006Now a solid contributor and is productive when he starts James AugustineDrafted 41st overall in 2006Played in 27 games over two seasons Courtney Lee Drafted 22nd overall in 2008Started 42 games as a rookie on a team that reached the NBA FinalsRyan Anderson Acquired in trade June 25, 2009Named 2011-12 NBA Most Improved Player Brandon Bass Signed as a free agent July 10, 2009Started 54 games over two seasons Daniel Orton Drafted 29th overall in 2010Rookie year lost to a leg issue, played sparingly in 2nd season Stanley RobinsonDrafted 59th overall in 2010Cut during his rookie-year training camp Earl Clark Acquired in trade Dec. 18, 2010Has played sparingly, with mixed results Justin Harper Draft rights acquired via trade in 2011Appeared in 14 games as a rookie DeAndre Liggins Drafted 53rd overall in 2011Appeared in 17 games as a rookie Von Wafer Acquired in sign-and-trade Dec. 12, 2011Played sparingly during his lone Magic season Ish Smith Signed as a free agent Feb. 2, 2012Used mostly as the team’s 3rd-string point guard

The cases of Howard, Jameer Nelson, Marcin Gortat, J.J. Redick, Courtney Lee and Ryan Anderson must be considered unmitigated successes — at least during their Magic tenures.

• Howard is the sport’s best center by a wide margin. He has some on-court flaws — he’s an awful free-throw shooter, and his offensive game still can be improved and refined — but he’s well on his way to a Hall of Fame career.

• Some Magic fans rip Nelson because he’s not a pass-first point guard and because he struggles defending taller and quicker opponents. But he’s been a solid starter.

• Gortat arguably made the greatest strides in this group, rising from an unknown to one of the best backup centers in the league. He’s a success story, and he has raved about the influences former Magic assistant coach Brendan Malone and current strength and conditioning coach Joe Rogowski had on his career.

• Redick’s pro career started slowly — so slowly that he wanted a trade early on. But he’s grown into one of the team’s most dependable players, citing the impact of Stan Van Gundy and Rogowski.

• What quibble could be made about Lee’s one season, when he was a crucial contributor to the Magic’s NBA Finals run?

• Anderson also developed — so much so that he was named the NBA’s 2011-12 Most Improved Player. True, he needs to add more strength and more quickness, but he made strides in both areas. And he’s still only 24 years old. He, too, said Van Gundy helped push him to be better, and he also said he learned from former assistant coach Steve Clifford.

Of the players listed above, the individual who met expectations least was Brandon Bass. The 6-foot-8 power forward did improve as a rebounder and as a team defender from his first season to his second season, but he was traded to Boston in the sign-and-trade that deal that brought Glen Davis and Von Wafer to Orlando. Bass has been more comfortable with the Celtics, no question about it.

Earl Clark also has not quite fit in during his Magic tenure, especially in areas of team defense. But it also should be noted that his prior team, the Phoenix Suns, chose not to exercise their third-year option on him before they included him in a trade to the Magic. It will be interesting to see if Jacque Vaughn and Vaughn’s staff will help him grow over the next year.

Daniel Orton’s progress was significantly hampered by a left-leg issue that cost him almost his entire rookie season. The NBA lockout prevented him from working with Magic coaches last offseason, and the compressed schedule robbed him of a full training camp and practice opportunities.